In the late 1990s Boston's streets were hit by a new drug that was seen as the gateway 'drug of choice' to heroin – this was Oxy-Contin and was an opiate based pain killer. It was designed to be a sow release pill and so had to be taken whole. However, if you interfered with it you could break it down and turn it into a 'get away from it all' drug in a matter of minutes. Enter an Irish American mother who has her boys who are low level criminals, they soon realise what they are on to and set about taking over the streets in a very 'in your face way'.

As with all drug pushers there is going to be violence, there is going to be profanity, there is going to be sex and there will be heartache. This does all that in spades and a bit more besides. It is wearing its message on its sleeve but we sort of don't mind.

The acting is actually mostly very good with some, non fatal, exceptions. The one thing that is an issue is the poor sound quality throughout and that is a production flaw. That lends itself to presenting this as a cheap presentation, which it most certainly is not. It is opinionated, it does have a story to tell and it can be gritty in the violence sense that that particular word is used. However, it is entertaining for most of the right reasons and will keep your attention right up until the last – so on that basis I can recommend.

The movie focuses on the prescription painkiller oxycodone, and how it exploded on the streets 10 years ago, causing many people to become addicted and do whatever it took to get their fix. I have seen the power of this drug and how it has the ability to consume and even kill people. As the movie demonstrates, there is little an addict won't do to get their fix. It's amazing how so many pharmaceutical drugs are over prescribed, causing harm to and even killing so many people, yet marijuana is illegal. It's all about the FDA, drug companies, insurance companies, law enforcement, and $$$$$$$. In the movie, we see the pharmaceutical sales rep persuading the doctor to try this new miracle pill on her patients, and then we see the consequences when the drug is not respected. The film shows the dark side of what happened on the streets- addiction, greed, murder, betrayal, self-destruction, revenge, and misery. The plot is intricate yet highly believable. Some scenes were quite emotional and you couldn't help feeling empathetic for many of the characters, all of whom were a perfect fit for their respective roles. These guys were a real-life crew from Boston (Charlestown) who hustled and did what they had to do to get by. The only big name in the movie was Tim Sylvia (former UFC heavyweight champ) who obviously was believable as a member of the tough crew of oxy bandits. If you or any of your boys used to make plays for a living, or still do, this film is a must-see. If you've seen anyone in your life get bit by drug addiction, this film will really hit home. I'd say it was better than "The Town" as far as plot and action, and hopefully it gets the recognition it deserves despite the lack of advertising. I wish it was a half hour longer! In short- great idea for a movie, well-designed plot, outstanding action, and awesome soundtrack.

I'm torn with this. They invested all their money in the production and the story line was pretty good. Acting ok..... but the fakeness of the blood and some sceneces just killed it for me.

Stll ok for a b movie

6.1.